During the early years of her legal career, Denisse worked as a defense attorney, where she specialized in public entity defense. She primarily handled cases on behalf of the County of Los Angeles regarding civil rights claims, including excessive force, freedom of speech, and familial association. This experience provides her with the unique ability to analyze a case from both a defense and plaintiff’s perspective. The experience also provides her with an invaluable skill: the skill of objectivity. This skill has proven to be a reliable tool which has sharpened Denisse’s effectiveness in litigation and in the courtroom.

In 2022, Denisse was a recipient of the Street Fighter of the Year Award by the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) for her role on the litigation team behind the Alarcio v. County of Los Angeles federal civil rights action, which resulted in the largest jail-death related settlement against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  The litigation team proved that Mr. Alarcio’s tragic death was caused by the systemic failure of the County’s mental health staff in their policies and procedures relating to the monitoring of mentally ill inmates.  In 2022, Denisse was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer.  Only 5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction.  During the 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month, Denisse’s story was featured in the Hispanic Stars Rising VIII book series. The series showcases 80 Latinx stories with diverse backgrounds, experiences, challenges, and ongoing contributions being made by beautifully strong and resilient Latinx community. 

In 2021, Denisse was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) with the prestigious Top Lawyers Under 40 Award. After a rigorous review process, the HNBA Awards Committee selected Denisse from a large pool of highly qualified candidates from across the country for her outstanding professional achievements combined with an exceptional commitment to service.

In 2020, Denisse was recognized as being Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers, a recognition that is extended solely to a select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile. Denisse has also received the Top 100 Civil Plaintiff’s Trial Lawyers recognition by the National Trial Lawyers.

In 2015, Denisse graduated from the Trial Advocacy Project through the Los Angeles County Bar Association. As the lead trial attorney, she prosecuted six misdemeanor/felony criminal trials during a seven-week span; the charges included terrorist threats, domestic violence, prostitution and assault with a deadly weapon. Denisse was single-handedly responsible for all aspects of trial proceedings, including trial strategy and theme, jury selection, opening statement, direct examination, cross-examination, and closing argument. In 2017, Denisse completed the three-month long Plaintiffs’ Trial Academy through the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. At the Academy, Denisse was trained by an elite group of trial attorneys. Showing great promise as a trial attorney she received individualized mentoring to ensure that she mastered her craft.

Denisse served as the 2018 President of the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA). Throughout her tenure, Denisse served as the President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, and Trustee and served as a Committee Member on the Civil Rights/Immigration Committee, Judicial Endorsement Committee, Political Endorsement Committee, and the Federal Judicial Externship Program. The accomplishments of her tenure include building coalitions with minority/ethnic bar associations to organize townhalls geared towards providing community leaders with tools to protect vulnerable communities under the Trump Administration; securing a partnership with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, wherein volunteers provided free legal services through legal clinics and naturalization/Know Your Rights workshops; facilitating meetings amongst multiple stakeholders from the ACLU of Southern California, the District Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office to ensure that criminal defendants were fully briefed of the immigration consequences; and introducing the MobileCause fundraiser, which has proven to be a reliable means to raise funds necessary for MABA’s Federal Judicial Externship Program and High School Scholarship Program.

Denisse served as the 2019 President of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association (LLBA). Throughout her tenure with LLBA, she served in the capacity of President-Elect, Secretary, Dinner Chair and Scholarship Chair. She is a founding member of the LLBA Young Lawyers Committee. She has also served as a mentor for Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe), a non-profit organization geared towards mentoring young girls enrolled in middle schools and high schools located in underserved communities.

Denisse is the current President of the California La Raza Lawyers Association (CLRLA),and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). She is actively involved in police reform through her legislative work with the NPAP Bane Act Reform Committee and the CAOC Civil Rights and Police Reform Committee. Over the years, Denisse has been a speaker on various panels regarding the practice of law and career advice.

Denisse was born in East Los Angeles into an immigrant family from Chihuahua and Sinaloa, Mexico. Having come from humble beginnings, her commitment to advocating and protecting civil liberties comes naturally. When not fighting for justice and serving as a zealous advocate on behalf of her clients, Denisse enjoys traveling, volunteering and spending time with her husband, Isidro Pánuco, and their two Australian Shepherds, Ginsberg (“Ginsey”) and Barack (“Barry”).